This invention relates to an apparatus for conveying, grouping and storing flat articles such as food products for the ultimate purpose of supplying them to a packing machine. The article storing device of the apparatus has an inlet station from which the products are moved by gondolas in which they are positioned on gondola shelves. The storing device further has an outlet station at which the products exit in the same orientation as they entered through the inlet station. The carrier gondolas move past the inlet and outlet stations in a vertical travel path.
Published European Patent Application 534 902 discloses a storing device comprising gondolas which are suspended from chains and each of which is provided with a plurality of shelves. The shelves, as the gondola passes by an inlet station in a vertical travel path, are charged with flat-lying articles. The articles are pushed onto a conveyor belt or the like in an outlet station.